Boy, 7, gets
a buzz from
bee-keeping
success

Jack Daniel Anderson-Martin, known as JD, has been keeping bees for two years and looks after more than 10 hives.

Classmates have run a mile rather than join him tending them in his protective suit but although now looking after up to 800,000 bees JD has never been stung.

And his knowledge of bee-keeping is becoming so extensive he has also outsmarted proud father Patrick who was persuaded to take up the hobby by his son.

Mr Martin, 51, a property landlord, added: “The boy was going through a bug phase but we did not have any bees at the time. A family friend, who had been bee- keeping for 40 years, introduced him to it. He got his first hive aged five. A year later we got two.

“Now we have ten. There are up to 80,000 bees per hive so he has 800,000 ‘pets’.

“He takes it very matter of fact and does not think it is anything special. He has absolutely no fear of bees.

“The strange thing is he has never been stung whereas most bee-keepers do get stung and I am stung every time I go up to the hives. They say if you are rushing and have a certain smell of stress or urgency you will be targeted.”

JD, an only child, has been out every week tending to his hives at his home at Croft Mill, Hebden Bridge, over the summer months, but also has extra hives hidden away in woods near Halifax.

His mother Josephine Anderson runs holiday accommodation in Hebden Bridge and JD regularly hands out pots of honey to guests.

He was seven when he started a course this year for a basic bee- keeping certificate where the average age for those taking part was mid-40s.

A month ago father and son travelled to Barnsley to take their practical examination with JD being tested in the under-14 junior category.

“When JD hopped out of the car the assessor was amazed at his age. She was expecting a teenager,” added Mr Martin. “He answered all the questions and passed. I was assessed the same day but made a few mistakes. They have not come across anyone of his age before.”